Reinforcing rod connection in block walls



Sept. 23, 1952 G. R. DODSON ET AL v 2,611,262

REINFORCING ROD CONNECTION IN BLOCK WALLS Filed Oct. 21, 1949 INVENTORE. 6/6 000560 BY Leo/7 42.00460,

Patented Sept. 23 1952 y-iammeem iaon CONNECTIONINL "131 001: WALLS The present invention relates to building wall construction, and has reference more particularly to the bonding means or connections employed -'forsecuring together a plurality of building blocks or units in assembled relation as "r'equired' in the progress of the buildingconstruction.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to devise improved means for securing suchplurality of building blocks'or units intheir assembled frelation', including provision for tight- 'eningthe" connecting rods or reinforcing elements and at the same time counteracting the tightening or tensioning action upon adjoining assemblies to whatever extent may be necessary to overcome any cracking tendencies which may be produced in the wall by the securing and tightening of said rods or reinforcing elements. To accomplish this purpose we have devised connecting rods for adjoining assemblies of the building blocks in combination with individual securing and tightening means for each of said assemblies, together with suitable restraining or reacting means associated with said securing and rod-tightening means and operative to counteract to the required extent any spreading or separating action of the adjoining assemblies such as would be likely to produce any objectionable cracking tendencies in the Wall structure.

With the foregoing general object in view the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one preferred form of construction which we have devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating a portion of a wall structure composed of building block units and having portions of two adjoining block assemblies connected by rod reinforcing and connecting means combined with the improvements of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 22 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l, but on a larger scale.

The present invention relates to certain improvements upon one of the phases of construction to be found illustrated in prior Patent No. 2,340,263, dated January 25, 1944.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the construction illustrated therein comprises a plurality of sets or groups ofbuilding blockunits 6 designed to-be assembledin superposed relation or-tiers as shown ana at spaced intervals th various group's'or assemblies of the blocks are designed to be fitted with connecting or reinforcing rods 8 extending through interior passages I0 in said block units. These passages I0 are arranged to'reglster as required for permitting the'rods8 to extend continuously in horizontal directions in'each assembly or group of any given number -of the'blocks. The end portions of the rods 8 are designed to be of such length as to project sufiiciently for re ceiving tightening or securing nuts [2 as well as clamping members or plates l4 and I4 as clearly represented in Figure 2. These nuts and clamping means are located between adjoining portions of the block assemblies, where one of the adjoining block units is provided with a suitable space IE to afford access to the ends of the rods and said clamping and securing elements and permit the necessary operations involved in manipulating the same.

The space [6 referred to is moreover made ample to provide for the mounting of a yoke structure comprising a crossbar or plate l8 having its opposite ends rigidly connected by a pair of bars 20 to the opposite sides of the center of one of the clamping members, such as the plate I4 aforesaid. The said crossbar or plate l8 thus forms the head of the yoke member and has its center portion provided with an opening 22 for loosely fitting over the end of one of the rods 8 where it is engaged by an adjusting nut l2 mounted between said crossbar I 8 and the extremity of the corresponding rod 8.

With the foregoing construction the operation of tensioning the rods 8 is carried out by the screwing up of the nuts [2, which in addition to firmly binding together the block units of the corresponding block assemblies also obviously tends to spread and separate said assemblies along the adjoining edges thereof. In the prior patent already referred to, this spreading or separating tendency is counteracted by means of a type of turnbuckle connections comprising suitabl bolt elements having right and left screw-threads. In the present improved construction, this function and operation are taken care of by means of the simple yoke structure attached to one of the clamping plates [4' and having its crosshead engaging the rod traversing the other clamping plate I4 and also by means of the adjusting nut 12 thereon for adjusting the said crosshead, thereby acting in a manner similar to the former construction for applying a suitable pull or such assemblies, said means comprising horizondrawing action for holding the adjoining block tally aligned rods extending through the units of assemblies together in opposition to any spreadthe adjoining assemblies, said rods having their ing or separating tendency, such as would otheradjacent ends threaded, clamping plates bearwise result in the absence of this supplemental 5 ing on the adjacent units Of the adjoining asconnection between said assemblies. It is theresemblies, said rod ends extending through said fore apparent that the ultimate result is, that clamping plates, nuts threaded on the ends of each ofj'the -rods 8' carries its own'load as regards the rods;- and' bearingwn 'said plates, said nuts securing or binding' together the blockunits combeing tighten'ed-and placing said rodsunder tenprising its own or corresponding assembly, while 10 sion, a cross plate disposed intermediate said at the same time cooperating with the connecting? iclamping plates, said cross plate being rigidly rods of the next adjacent assembly (through the .aiilxed tov one clamping plate and spaced from described connections) for maintaining these adbotlt said' clamping plates, the rod extending joining portions of the wall structure against'any through the other clamping plate also extending objectionable spreading and cracking'tendencies; HS-through the cross plate, and a nut threaded on It will thus be seen that we have devised la said last mentioned rod end and bearing on the practical and efiicient, and :yet. simpler and imcross plate,. thelast said nut being tightened proved construction for carryingout the'de'sire'd against said cfr'oss'plate and regulating th t objects of the invention, and while the io'regoing t'sieniapplied to the adjoining assemblies.

represents what we now deem to constitute the GLENN R. DODSON. preierrediorm of embodiment of. said-proposed hLEON--A.--DODSON. ---features of improvement-we desire to be underp g N u g g stood as reserving the right to protectionionsuch REFERENCES CITED minor c g modifications therein ass-may A The following" references-are of record in th be afforded by -the appended-claim. me f thismatent;

- Having thus described our invention,=whatwe claim anddesire-to secure by Letters Patentls: STATES PATENTS Ina building wall assembly comprising. build- Number 'Name Date ing units, means for securing adjoining assem- --2,340-,263 V Dodson Jan.. 25, 1944 blies of the buildingunits together under-ten- 2,344,223 Upson et al.. Mar. 14', 1 44 sion-ande for regulating thetension appliedto r 2,442,134 Summers y 25, 1948 

